The New York Rangers continued their strong special teams play in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night, scoring two power-play goals and a shorthanded goal in their 4-3 victory.
The Rangers have now capitalized on two of the eight power plays they have earned in the first two games of the series, and they have used their time with the man advantage to create momentum. They generate shots, occupy significant zone time, and are relentless in their retrieval of pucks to keep it all going.
After fending off all four of the Capitals’ power plays in Game 1, the Rangers’ penalty kill may have given up two on Tuesday, but the team also scored one. “I mean, I don’t know how Mika [Zibanejad] sees me there,” said K’Andre Miller, who scored off a shorthanded rush after Zibanejad teed him up as he trailed the play. “It’s an unreal play by him. [Chris Kreider] taking out three of their guys, bringing all the attention to him and I was just sneaking in down the pipe and just tried to get something on net.”
The Rangers’ second power-play unit got in on the action in the second period, when Jack Roslovic went top shelf on Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren from the right circle to give his team a 3-2 lead. “It’s amazing,” Roslovic said of his first taste of playoff hockey since the bubble playoffs in 2020 with the Jets. “It’s what everybody wants to play for and I was a little bit younger when I was in the playoffs. You think it might be pretty easy to get in every year and you learn it’s not and you learn why.”
With the win, the Rangers take a 2-0 lead in the series and will look to continue their strong play on the road in Games 3 and 4 in Washington D.C. on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
